‘A place of healing’: Garden honoring fallen University of Idaho students set to open
University of Idaho students soon will start their second full school year since four Vandals were killed in a home near campus.
This year, they will have a place to go to remember and honor those four, as well as all U of I students who died.
Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial will officially open at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 21 during a dedication ceremony, U of I said in a news release. The garden was built between the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences Building and the Physical Education Building on MacLean Field.
The university said students from the College of Art and Architecture “designed and built the garden as a place of healing and reflection and to honor the memories of all Vandals who have died while enrolled at the university.”
School leaders came up with the idea after the community was rocked by the November 2022 stabbing deaths of seniors Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum; junior Xana Kernodle, 20, of Post Falls; and freshman Ethan Chapin, 20, of Mount Vernon, Washington.
“It is the sad reality that students die every year, and having a place where our community can go to remember them is incredibly important,” Jodi Walker, university spokesperson, previously told the Idaho Statesman. “Having this space designed by students adds to the depth of healing and community.”
The plans included input from school and city representatives, as well as some families of former students, the university said.
A sculpture in the garden will be dedicated specifically to the four victims. The design plans also show walking paths and a sheltered sitting area.
The university raised money to fund the memorial through its website and is still taking donations.
“This student-led project shows the dedication, care and resilience of our student body,” Dean of Students Blaine Eckles said in the release. “It truly showcases what it means to be a Vandal and honors our lost Vandals in a beautiful manner.”
Bryan Kohberger, 29, a Pennsylvania native who was studying criminal justice and criminology at Washington State University, was arrested in December 2023 and has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in the 2022 homicides. He has been in the Latah County Jail in Moscow since he was flown from Pennsylvania, and the state is seeking the death penalty in his case.
